03.02.01E — Advanced Literacy and Awareness Training

Official NIST requirement content

Security requirement

a.Provide security literacy training to system users:
1. a-1.On the advanced persistent threat,
2. a-2.On recognizing suspicious communications and anomalous behavior in systems using [Organization-defined: indicators of malicious code], and
3. a-3.On the cyber threat environment.
b.Update security literacy training content [Organization-defined: frequency] and following [Organization-defined: events].

Official NIST discussion

Discussion

An effective way to detect APTs, address the cyber threat environment, and preclude successful attacks is to provide specific literacy training for individuals. Threat literacy training includes educating individuals on the various ways that APTs can infiltrate the organization (e.g., through websites, emails, pop-ups, articles, and social engineering) and describes techniques for recognizing suspicious emails, the use of removable systems in non-secure settings, and the potential targeting of individuals at home. Personnel are also trained on what constitutes suspicious communications and how to respond to such communications. Training personnel on how to recognize anomalous behaviors in systems can provide organizations with early warning of the presence of malicious code. Recognizing anomalous behavior in systems can supplement the malicious code detection and protection tools and systems used by organizations. Since threats continue to change over time, threat literacy training is dynamic. Moreover, threat literacy training is not performed in isolation from the system operations that support organizational missions and business functions. This requirement enhances SP 800-171 requirement 03.02.01.

Official organization-defined parameters

Tailoring decisions required

Resolve these values through the governing organization’s approved tailoring and risk-management process before declaring the requirement implemented.

indicators of malicious codeorganization-defined indicators of malicious codeindicators of malicious code are defined.

frequencyorganization-defined frequencythe frequency at which to update security literacy training content is defined.

eventsorganization-defined eventsevents which cause security literacy training content to be updated are defined.

Official protection strategy classifications

Protection strategies supported

These classifications are carried from the official SP 800-172 OSCAL record and help explain the enhanced requirement’s defensive purpose.

PS-DLODamage-Limiting Operations

PS-PRAPenetration-Resistant Architecture

Bare Metal Cyber interpretation

Implementation perspective

Treat Advanced Literacy and Awareness Training as an enhanced CUI protection outcome for elevated threat conditions that must be reflected in the system boundary, documented implementation, operational behavior, and assessment evidence. Pay particular attention to role-based CUI handling knowledge, awareness, and evidence that personnel understand their responsibilities.

Confirm the federal agency selected this enhanced requirement for the critical program or high-value asset and identify the CUI system components, services, users, and external connections in scope.
Resolve every organization-defined parameter through an approved governance and tailoring process.
Map each clause of the requirement to an accountable owner, implementation mechanism, and evidence source.
Verify that inherited and shared implementations are supported by current provider evidence and responsibility boundaries.
Collect evidence during normal operation and review changes, exceptions, and deficiencies on a risk-based cadence.

Questions to ask

Which critical-program or high-value-asset CUI, data flows, users, and services are protected by this enhanced requirement?
Which portions are implemented locally, inherited, shared, or not applicable, and what evidence supports that determination?
Do the system security plan, deployed configuration, operating process, and assessment evidence tell the same story?
What change, incident, or threshold should trigger reassessment?

Evidence and validation

training plans and role assignments
completion and attendance records
exercise or simulation results
content review and approval records

Common failure patterns

generic annual training with no CUI context
completion treated as proof of competence
contractors or privileged users omitted
training not updated after incidents or policy changes

Official NIST SP 800-172A content

Assessment objectives and methods

Assessment objectives (5)

a.1.
security literacy training on the advanced persistent threat is provided to system users.
a.2.
security literacy training on recognizing suspicious communications and anomalous behavior in systems using [Organization-defined: indicators of malicious code] is provided to system users.
a.3.
security literacy training on the cyber threat environment is provided to system users.
b.
security literacy training content is updated [Organization-defined: frequency].
b.
security literacy training content is updated following [Organization-defined: events]

Examine

System security plan
security literacy and awareness training policy
procedures addressing security literacy and awareness training implementation
security literacy and awareness training curriculum
security literacy and awareness training materials
other relevant documents or records

Interview

Personnel who receive security literacy and awareness training
personnel with responsibilities for security literacy and awareness training
personnel with information security responsibilities

Official source-control relationships

Source NIST SP 800-53 controls

These controls are referenced by the official SP 800-172 Rev. 3 OSCAL record. Open the corresponding control pages for complete control text, enhancements, D3FEND mappings, and related learning.

Source controlAT-2(4)Open SP 800-53 control →Source controlAT-2(5)Open SP 800-53 control →Source controlAT-2(6)Open SP 800-53 control →

Source record

Authoritative sources

Bare Metal Cyber is an independent educational publisher and is not affiliated with or endorsed by NIST. The official publications, the responsible federal agency, and the governing contract or agreement determine applicability, tailoring, assessment depth, and required implementation.